Blog Challenge Day 5: Things You Want to Say to an Ex

Well, these three guys aren't exactly exes per se, but I did go on dates with each of them and I might still be a little bitter that I was such a doormat back then.

To Guy 1: Thank you so much for bringing your female best friend along on our first date. That didn't make it awkward at all. Also, thank you for pointing out how I didn't talk much during the date. I don't exactly talk much at the best of times but especially not in a group situation with near-strangers. Good thing your friend was there to dominate the conversation.

To Guy 2: If you had your eyes set on the girl you started dating immediately after our first date you really could have turned me down when I asked you out. Why get my hopes up and waste my time and yours? Also, that was so kind of you to ask if I had a boyfriend a month after our date and then tell me you weren't surprised that I didn't. Jerk. I was never more happy than when you left for study abroad.

To Guy 3: What in the actual hell was going on in your life/brain? Oh wait, you were in college, maybe that explains it. But seriously, why the farewell "date"? Wasn't one "date" enough? Also, I know you didn't think I knew what Crohn's disease was, I did. And I had a fun time imagining you with all the symptoms.

Blog Challenge Day 4: Bullet Your Whole Day

Today is a pretty boring day to bullet but here goes:

• 11:00am - Woke up (for the record I didn't get off work until about 2:30am or in bed until 4am and I don't have to get up early for school on Thursdays hence the late wake-up time)
• 11:00 - 12:00 Got ready for the day, ate breakfast while reading the newspaper
• 12:00- 2:00 Put away laundry, worked on my final project for my tax class
• 2:00 - 2:30 Ate lunch while working on my tax project
• 2:30 - 6:00 Worked on my tax project
• 6:00 - 8:00 Went to dinner with the family to celebrate my brother getting his pilot's license, got to go to a restaurant I've never been to before
• 8:00 - 10:00 Worked on my tax project, printed final copy of my tax project
• 10:00 Started blogging

I predict the rest of my day will include beginning studying for one of my finals, gathering information to complete another final project, and getting to bed sometime after midnight.

Blog Challenge Day 3: A Book You Love

I have several books that I love, many of which tend to be the popular reads like Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones, so for this I thought I would talk about a book which isn't so massively popular but which I definitely love:

Alpine for You

Mystery novels have long been one of my favorite genres dating back to my grade school love of Nancy Drew and my middle school introduction to Agatha Christie. I love trying to guess "whodunnit" even though I hardly ever get it right. There have been several great mysteries and mystery series I have read over the years but Alpine For You and the rest of Maddy Hunter's Passport to Peril mystery series really stand out in my mind for their great combination of mystery, humor, and travel. Upon reading the series a second time I found myself laughing out loud all over again. The only thing I regret about getting hooked on these books is that Maddy Hunter only did six of them. It was a sad day when I finished the last one.

Update: After hitting publish I found out that after a five year break she has come out with three more novels in the series!!!!!!!
 

Blog Challenge Day 2: Something You Feel Strongly About

(This is just a general rant that stems from my own experience as a child and on into adulthood, I'm not accusing anyone who reads this blog of actually parenting this way)

To parents of all ages with children of all ages:

If your child comes to you with an idea they have that they are excited about, don't immediately tell them everything that is wrong with it.

I think this is done as a misguided attempt to protect children from the harsh reality of failure. After all, if a kid knows what to expect they won't be surprised when, or if, things go wrong.

But, instead of protecting kids by preparing them for the worst, this tactic ends up producing unexpected consequences. I know because I have lived them and am still struggling with them.

First, it destroys confidence. Kids get the message that none of their ideas are good enough. Kids also get the message that you don't believe they're smart enough to see the pitfalls of their ideas or that they're smart enough to come up with solutions to those pitfalls.

Second, your kid will stop sharing their ideas with you. In fact, they will go out of their way to keep from telling you their ideas.
Wouldn't you rather your child was excited to share something with you?

Finally, whenever your child comes up with an idea, he or she might internalize your lesson and immediately begin coming up with everything that is wrong with their idea, completely deflating any enthusiasm and stopping most ideas before they get off the ground.

Parents should be their child's cheerleader and supporter, not their child's harshest critic. There's a whole world of harsh critics who can fulfill that role. Parents need to lay the foundation for confidence. Confidence is such a big key to everything in life and it is extremely difficult to fashion confidence from nothing, and it is so hard to believe in yourself when no one else ever has.

So please, please don't rain on your child's parade.

Blog Challenge Day 1: Five Ways to Win Your Heart

Not that any males will read this but here is a 5-step guide to winning my heart.

 1. The proper way to ask me on a date/propose:

2. Compliment my cooking/baking.

3. Love animals, especially cats.

4. Be a good listener.

5. Don't be a know-it-all.